Vertically movable scaffold seat



Sept. 1, 1964 A. F. ABEREGG VERTICALLY MOVABLE SCAFFOLD SEAT 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 19, 1963 INVENTOR. I ARTHUR F. ABEREGG FIG.5

ATTORNEY FIG.I

Sept. 1, 1964 A. F. ABEREGG VERTICALLY MOVABLE SCAFFOLD SEAT 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 19, 1963 FIG.6

FIG.9

INVENTOR. ARTHUR F. ABEREGG W6 ATTORNEY FIG. IO

United States Patent 3,146,855 VERTICALLY MOVABLE SCAFFOLD SEAT ArthurF. Abel-egg, 2128 S. Linden, Alliance, Ohio Filed Aug. 19, 1963, Ser.No. 302,911 3 Claims. (Cl. 132-146) This invention relates to scaffoldsin general and more particularly to a vertically movable scaffold seatand a support pole therefor.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a simple andeconomical vertically movable scaffold seat and pole support which maybe used in painting, repairing or maintaining exterior and interior wallsurfaces and the like.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a verticallymovable scaffold seat and pole support incorporating a motor poweredwinch for moving the seat relative to the pole support.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a verticallymovable scaffold seat and pole support therefor and incorporating meanson said seat for engaging said vertical support so as to hold the samerelative thereto.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a portablevertically movable scaffold seat and a pole support therefor that may beused in carrying a workman up and down a wall or other vertical surfacebeing painted, repaired or otherwise worked upon.

The vertically movable scaffold seat and pole support therefor disclosedherein comprises an improved devicefor use by a workman as in painting awall or a building or the like. The device is comparable in size andweight with a ladder and is easily and quickly positioned along side abuilding whereupon the workman, seated on the vertically movable seat,may control the vertical movement of the seat so as to move up and downrelative to the building wall as in a painting operation. The device maybe moved horizontally as simple and light-weight tackle is used tosecure the upper end relative to the building, and which tackle enablesthe device to be so moved.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts andin the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes andmodifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposesof the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spiritand scope of the invention.

.The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the vertically movable seat and polesupport.

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal section on line 2-2 of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section on line 3-3 of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a vertical section on line 4-4 of FIG- URE 1.

3,146,855 Fatented Sept. 1, 1954 ice FIGURE 10 is a vertical sectionthrough a modified portion of the seat illustrating an alternate safetybrake.

By referring to the drawings and FIGURE 1 in particular, will be seenthat the invention comprises a pole 10 which is shown as a crosssectionally rectangular structure, although it may also be circular ifdesired, upon which a platform is positioned for vertical movementrelative thereto. The platform includes a seat 11 supported on a pair offrame members 12, 12 as best seen in FIGURES 2 and 4 of the drawings, itbeing observed that the seat 11 is positioned on one end of the framemembers 12, 12 and is provided with a cross piece 13 in the nature of asupport beneath its forward edge. There are a pair of oppositelydisposed frame members 14, 14 positioned at right angles to the framemembers 12, 12 and in spaced relation thereto and one of which framemembers 14 forms a back for the seat 11. Sides 15, 15 positioned betweenthis frame member 14 and the seat 11 complete the seat structure. Theframe members 14, 14 and the frame members 12, 12 form a rectangularopening in the platform behind the seat 11 and inwardly of the ends ofthe frame members 12, 12 and 14, 14 which opening registers with therectangular pole 10 as best seen in FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings.

A transversely disposed roller 16 journalled at its ends in bearings setin the frame members 12, 12 engages the front side of the rectangularpole 10 and is disposed beneath the rear portion of the seat 11. A pairof vertical extensions 17, 17 are positioned on the upper surfaces ofthe frame members 12, 12 and between the frame members 14, 14 and asecondary roller 18 is journalle d on bearings disposed in thesevertical extensions 17 near the upper ends thereof and arranged toengage the back of the rectangular pole 10. The rollers 16 and 18 arethus vertically spaced with respect to one another as best illustratedin FIGURE 5 of the drawings. It will be observed that a person seated onthe seat 11 will be supported by the platform with the rollers 16 and 18appropriately engaging vertically spaced oppositely disposed sections ofthe rectangular pole Ill and so that the platform, including the seat11, will be capable of moving vertically on the pole 1% with relativefreedom.

The upper end of the pole 1% is provided with a rectangular frame 19,the ends 20, 20 of which extend beyond the sides of the rectangular pole10 as best seen in FIG- URES 1 and 3 of the drawings. Sheaves 21, 21 arejournalled in bearings positioned in the frame 19 and a cable 22 istrained thereover. One end of the cable 22 is attached to the platformcomprising the seat 11 and the other end secured to a reel 23 which isjournalled in bearings positioned in the secondary frame members 14, 14as best seen in FIGURES 1 and 2 of the drawings. The pivotal shaft ofthe reel 23 extends through one of the secondary frame members 14 andengages a gear box 24 mounted on a deck 25 of the platform.

The gear box 24 has an input shaft 26 which is connected to the driveshaft of an electric motor 27 also mounted on the deck 25 of theplatform. The electric motor 27 has a deck 28 on the opposite end of thedrive shaft with respect to the gear box 24 and a brake rod 29 isengaged frictionally against the periphery of the deck 28 and pivotallymounted on a fulcrum pin 30 positioned in one of the secondary framemembers 14 as best seen in FIGURES 2 and 4 of the drawings.

The opposite end of the brake rod 29 extends through an opening in theother end of the secondary frame members 14 and into the area above theseat 11 where it can be easily manipulated by the person seated thereon.An electric wire and switch for controlling and supplying energy to theelectric motor 27, although not illustrated in the drawings, is providedand the wires are of a length sufiicient to reach from the ground to thetop of the rectangular pole as the platform moves thereon. It will beobserved that when the electric motor 27 is energized it will rotate thegears in the gear box 24 which in turn will cause the reel 23 to revolveand wind up the cable 22 thereby causing the platform including the seat11 to move upwardly relative to the pole 10. Reversing the direction ofthe motor 27 will permit the seat 11 to move downwardly.

By referring now to FIGURES 6 and 7 of the drawings, details of themanner in which the pole 10 is positioned alongside a building will beseen in the diagrammatic figures. In FIGURE 6 a building 31 having apitched roof 32 is illustrated with sheaves 33 secured to theoverhanging portions of the roof 32. A rope or cable 34 secured to aweight 35, or, alternately to the building 31 itself, is positionedupwardly alongside the building 31 through the sheaves 33 which cause itto follow the roof line 32 and downwardly again to a secondary weight35, or, alternately, to a point of attachment to the building 31. A loop36 formed in the rope 34 midway between its ends encircles the upper endof the pole 10 which stands upon the ground adjacent the building and inspaced relation thereto. In such position, the platform including theseat 11 may be moved freely vertically so that a person positionedthereon will be in position to paint the side of the building 31. Tomove the pole 10, the rope 34 is untied from one of the weights 35 andmoved toward the other and resecured. This moves the loop 36 sidewardlyand the top of the pole 10 moves at the same time. The base of the polemay be then picked up and moved to any position. For buildings withoutroof overhang the arrangement shown in FIG: URE 7 is employed in which acollar 37 is movably positioned on the pole 10, the collar 37 having aprojecting arm 38 which holds the top of the pole 10 outwardly from thewall of the building 39. The same rope and loop arrangement as indicatedat 34 and 36 of FIGURE 6 is employed to hold the pole relative to thebuilding and a secondary rope 40 trained over sheaves 41, 41 of an arm42 on the top of the pole 10, above the frame 19, enables the positionof the collar 37 to be adjusted vertically. It will occur to thoseskilled in the art that, in addition to the controlling action of themotor 27, gear box 24 and reel 23 and the brake rod 29, safety brakesmay be and preferably are provided.

In FIGURES 1, 8 and 9 of the drawings, a preferred form of a safetybrake is illustrated and by referring thereto it will be seen that aflexible clamp device comprises a section of semi-rigid cable 43 havingits ends 44, 44 secured to the platform and its intermediate portionloosely coiled about the rectangular pole 10 as best seen in FIGURES 8and 9. One convolution of the cable 43 is normally supported in elevatedrelation by a spring urged arm 45 secured to the platform and morespecifically to one of the vertical extensions 17 of the frame members12, 12 as heretofore described. This device acts with a snubbing actionrelative to the rectangular pole 10 whenever the platform, including theseat 11, moves downwardly. In order to permit such downward movement,the spring urged arm 45 is depressed manually thereby holding theconvolution of the semi-rigid cable 43 in loose engagement relative tothe pole It). An alternate safety brake is illustrated in FIGURE 10 ofthe drawings which comprises a gouge member 46 pivoted to the platformby a pivot 47 and having a serrated end 48 normally urged intoengagement against the pole 10 by means of a tensioning spring 49. Thesafety brakes shown in FIGURES 8, 9 and 10 are so arranged that theywill work automatically to prevent downward movement of the platformincluding the seat 11 unless manually released. Neither requires manualrelease for upward movement of the seat 11 as they simply slide againstthe pole 10 when the platform including the seat 11 is moved vertically.In the preferred form of the invention as illustrated in FIGURES 1through 5 of the drawings and heretofore described the safety brake ofFIGURES 8 and 9 is incorporated and illustrated, and it will occur tothose skilled in the art that additionally the safety brake of FIGURE 10can also be used or it can be substituted for the preferred form.

It will thus be seen that a vertically movable scaffold seat and supportpole therefor has been disclosed and having thus described my invention,what I claim is:

1. A vertically movable scaffold seat for operation on a vertical poleand comprising a rectangular platform having an opening therethroughthrough which said pole is positioned, vertically standing horizontallydisposed frame members positioned on and secured to said platform oneach side of said opening, a winch and means for moving said Winchmounted on one side of said platform, an opposite side of said platformdefining a seat for carrying a workman, one of said vertically standingframe members forming a back for said seat, a pair of verticallystanding side members positioned on and secured to said platformadjacent said seat and secured to said frame member forming said backrollers secured to said platform in spaced vertical alignment with saidopening and arranged for engagement against the opposite sides of saidpole so as to position said platform relative to said pole, one of saidrollers being positioned between a pair of said vertically standinghorizontally disposed frame members, a cable on said winch trained oversaid pole and secured to said platform and brake means on said platformfor controlling the rotation of said winch.

2. The vertically movable scaffold seat set forth in claim 1 andincluding a safety brake on said platform comprising means positionedaround said pole for clampingly engaging said pole upon downwardmovement of said platform relative thereto and slidably engaging saidpole upon upward movement of said platform relative thereto.

3. The combination of a vertical pole and a platform movable verticallythereon, said platform comprising a pair of horizontally positionedframe members spaced to permit said pole to pass therebetween, a pair ofsecondary horizontal frame members positioned crosswise relative to saidfirst pair of frame members and spaced to permit said pole to passtherebetween, a first roller secured to said first pair of frame membersand in vertical alignment with one of said pair of secondary framemembers, vertical extensions on said first pair of frame members and asecond roller positioned between said vertical extensions and betweensaid pair of secondary frame members and in offset horizontal relationto said first roll, a deck formed on one of the ends of said first pairof frame members and a seat formed on the opposite ends thereof, a winchdisposed on said deck, a cable on said winch trained over said pole andhaving one end secured to said platform and means on said deck forimparting movement to said winch, and a safety brake secured to saidplatform and engaging said pole, said safety brake comprising a sectionof cable coiled about said pole with the ends of said cable attached tosaid platform and means normally holding the convolutions of said cablein elevated relation to said platform.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 77,733Holzer May 12, 1868 182,380 Miller Sept. 19, 1876 275,647 Haines Apr.10, 1883 1,616,743 Ericsson Feb. 8, 1927 2,112,837 Fisher Apr. 5, 19382,725,125 Morgen Nov. 12, 1955

1. A VERTICALLY MOVABLE SCAFFOLD SEAT FOR OPERATION ON A VERTICAL POLEAND COMPRISING A RECTANGULAR PLATFORM HAVING AN OPENING THERETHROUGHTHROUGH WHICH SAID POLE IS POSITIONED, VERTICALLY STANDING HORIZONTALLYDISPOSED FRAME MEMBERS POSITIONED ON AND SECURED TO SAID PLATFORM ONEACH SIDE OF SAID OPENING, A WINCH AND MEANS FOR MOVING SAID WINCHMOUNTED ON ONE SIDE OF SAID PLATFORM, AN OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID PLATFORMDEFINING A SEAT FOR CARRYING A WORKMAN, ONE OF SAID VERTICALLY STANDINGFRAME MEMBERS FORMING A BACK FOR SAID SEAT, A PAIR OF VERTICALLYSTANDING SIDE MEMBERS POSITIONED ON AND SECURED TO SAID PLATFORMADJACENT SAID SEAT AND SECURED TO SAID FRAME MEMBER FORMING SAID BACKROLLERS SECURED TO SAID PLATFORM IN SPACED VERTICAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAIDOPENING AND ARRANGED FOR ENGAGEMENT AGAINST THE OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAIDPOLE SO AS TO POSITION SAID PLATFORM RELATIVE TO SAID POLE, ONE OF SAIDROLLERS BEING POSITIONED BETWEEN A PAIR OF SAID VERTICALLY STANDINGHORIZONTALLY DISPOSED FRAME MEMBERS, A CABLE ON SAID WINCH TRAINED OVERSAID POLE AND SECURED TO SAID PLATFORM AND BRAKE MEANS ON SAID PLATFORMFOR CONTROLLING THE ROTATION OF SAID WINCH.